Home / International / Opinion Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
UN Reform Plans Face Hurdles from States and Staff
Adjust font size:

Secretary General Kofi Annan's plans to overhaul the UN bureaucracy are expected to face stiff resistance from developing countries and immediately triggered protests from staff over outsourcing proposals.

Annan, introducing a 33-page report on Tuesday, sought more financial oversight, simplified hiring and firing procedures, career planning, staff buyouts, training and a modern information system. The costs could run to US$500 million.

More controversial are plans for outsourcing or moving staff out of the United States for some translation services, document production, printing and publishing and information technology.

Saying too many decades had passed with partial reforms, Annan called for a "radical overhaul" and a "strategic refit" because rules and regulations "make it very hard for the organization to conduct its work efficiently or effectively."

As an example, he pointed to 13,000 civilian staff, with most employed in the field but getting fewer benefits or career advancement than the 4,200 in New York.

After addressing the 191-nation General Assembly, Annan and his top managers faced a raucous meeting where staff made clear that past promises of improvements were not delivered.

Rosemary Waters, an American and head of the UN staff committee, said 700 employees would campaign among member states to halt the proposals and "the constant effort of the management to erode the rights and benefits of staff," especially plans to outsource.

"You say no one loses a job through outsourcing but I have to tell you Mr secretary-general, not many people believe you," said one woman who was not identified.

Another man warned that instead of saving money, outsourcing could result in more expenditures. "You could find yourself with some Halliburton-style organizations," he said.

While the European Union and the United States welcomed the reforms, especially in the wake of several scandals, developing nations are expected to be apprehensive of losing their authority in the UN General Assembly.

No sooner had Annan spoken than a wrangle ensued over where the reform blueprint should be discussed. Developing nations opted for General Assembly committees where they believe they have more power while the United States, the European Union and Japan said the full assembly should have control.

The United States has tied progress on management reform to a condition for refinancing the UN budget on June 30.

The financial plan, reluctantly approved by the General Assembly in December, has caused animosity between US Ambassador John Bolton and many poor nations who feel rich countries want to cut programs and jobs that benefit them.

Bolton told the assembly that the United States endorsed Annan's call for a radical overhaul of the bureaucracy. "They are our objectives, and there will be considerable hard work ahead to achieve them," he said.

But Edward Luck, a Columbia University professor and UN expert, warned that implementation usually fell short of expectations. "Big and small states alike begin to fret that their relative position in the UN, built through years of practice and maneuver, could be affected by unpredictable renovations," he said.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies March 9, 2006)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- UN Reforms Shouldn't Change Basic Values
- Annan Calls on World Leaders to Implement UN Reform Blueprint
- Future of UN Hinges on Effective Reform
- US Threatens to Block UN Budget over Management Reform
- Bolton's Warnings Hinder UN Reform
- Next UN Chief Must Continue Reform Drive
- Annan Hopes UN Power Struggle Won't Derail Reforms
- Annan Presents Report on Management Reform of UN
Most Viewed >>
> Korean Nuclear Talks
> Reconstruction of Iraq
> Middle East Peace Process
> Iran Nuclear Issue
> 6th SCO Summit Meeting
Links
- China Development Gateway
- Foreign Ministry
- Network of East Asian Think-Tanks
- China-EU Association
- China-Africa Business Council
- China Foreign Affairs University
- University of International Relations
- Institute of World Economics & Politics
- Institute of Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies
- Institute of West Asian & African Studies
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
- Institute of Japanese Studies